Companies commit to provide safe water to people suffering droughts in sub-Saharan Africa

Several multinational corporations and nonprofits last week made commitments at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), pledging to provide millions of people with access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.

According to the United Nations, people suffering from waterborne diseases occupy more than half of the world’s hospital beds at any given time. At the CGI meeting Procter & Gamble (P&G) committed to bring safe drinking water to more than 2 million people in the Horn of Africa region and to prevent more than 10 million days of illness with its Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program. Through this program Target also pledged to provide 1 million days of safe drinking water, and the U.S. Agency for International Development pledged to provide water to 1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

“At the Clinton Global Initiative, we have a wide variety of members from business, government and the nonprofit world who are working together to address this critical issue,” former President Bill Clinton said.

Global nonprofit organization World Vision committed to providing access to safe drinking water to 2.2 million drought-affected children. The Intl. Medical Corps committed to provide integrated health, water, sanitation and hygiene to more than 11 million people in East Africa.